Mischievous elves or gnomes were believed to haunt homesteads and farms in Denmark and Norway as well as Sweden. In Denmark, this particular one, Julnisse, had to be bribed with the traditional Danish Christmas Rice Pudding so that he wouldn't be up to his tricks!Clement Moore, writer of the poem "A Visit from St. Nick", portrayed santa as a 'jolly old elf' based on Scandinavian folklore.
In Norway, during the Second World War, Nisse, with his red cap became the national Christmas gift-bringer and a symbol of the 'resistance'; thus being banned by Nazi occupiers.